The young must remember they're destined to get old

The largest problem the young have is they have no idea one day they will become old.

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By Jim Fabiano

seacoastonline.com

By Jim Fabiano

Posted Dec. 15, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Jim Fabiano
Posted Dec. 15, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

The largest problem the young have is they have no idea one day they will become old.

I know this because there was a time not so long ago I was young. I had a full head of hair, my weight was high but kept up by some muscle structure, and my mind was clear to the point I knew I knew everything there was to know. I was also upset with the fact I had to take a portion of my earnings and give it to a government that passed things like Social Security and Medicare. I didn't need those programs, so why was I being asked to pay for them?

Well, I'm now old and I thank that damned government of ours for having the wisdom to help the people who needed the most help because they simply lived long enough to become old.

Our Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, is suffering through the concept by our young and healthy that they will never grow old and shouldn't have to pay for something they don't need. This brings to mind a favorite story I lived through that has nothing to do with health care. It has everything to do with education and community.

Back almost four decades ago I moved to a town that had yet to grow large and prosperous. Our town taxes paid for everything from the police department to our schools. You'll notice I didn't say fire department because at that time it was totally volunteer. Once a year we met in the high school's gymnasium to decide what the school budget should be. Every year our taxes went up and, because we were suffering though an economic collapse due to trickle-down economics, there were few in attendance who wanted or could afford to give the schools any more money.

I remember the arguments being heated. The families that had children in the school argued it was important we take care of our futures by supporting the schools. The families whose children had gone through the school system argued that enough was enough and as a community we could no longer afford any increase in the budget.

I sat there quietly with my wife knowing we were new to the town and until I paid into its coffers for at least a couple of decades I had little right to argue any points that had to do with the town's money. I do remember at the peak of the argument, with multiple people waiting in line to say his or her pitch, an older gentleman simply stood up. His photo could have been placed next to Webster's definition of a "Mainer." He didn't bother to work his way to the microphone. He simply got out of his folded chair and started to talk. As soon as he did everyone else in the room listened. I don't know what power he had but there were no complaints that he basically cut in line.

He talked about a time decades before when the town paid for all of his seven kids' education. Sure there were people there who had no children or whose children graduated from the schools. But they didn't complain because it was their time to take care of the new children of our community. He then sat down and the budget passed.

The same thing is happening with our health care system. Sure there are older people who will use the new insurance system more than the younger people who are too busy and healthy to use it, but there will be a time when as they grow older and weaker they will depend on people who are too young and busy to use it.

The largest problem the young have is they have no idea one day they will become old. I want to take the time to remind the young they are not invincible and what is will not always be. In other words, they will become old.